Best Coast & Opinions on Bryan Ferry

Indie pop trio Best Coast visits the show to perform its unique mix of girl-group harmonies and shoegaze rock. Plus, decades after Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry has a new solo record.

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Taylor to Kanye: Nanny nanny boo boo. The country pop singer has reason to gloat this week. First week sales for Taylor Swift's album Speak Now hit a million in only its first week. Only 16 albums have achieved this feat since SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991. And, Jim and Greg add, this is especially significant in an age when digital music is king.

Also in the news is the death of Ari Up, one of the founders of the influential female punk band The Slits. Born Ariana Forster, the singer had a long battle with cancer, and her death was announced by her stepfather, and fellow punk icon, John Lydon. Forster was just 14 years old when she put together the band that would later merge dub reggae with punk. Jim and Greg play The Slits' "Typical Girls" to honor a girl that was anything but.

Best Coast

Jim and Greg are joined by the members of Best Coast. The indie trio, named for lead singer  Bethany Cosentino's beloved California region, has a unique combination of shoegaze rock and '60s throwback harmonies reminiscent of the Beach Boys and the Mamas and the Papas. Their debut Crazy for You was a surprise hit for an indie release-reaching the Billboard Top 40. Cosentino talks to Jim and Greg about her own musical roots (Dad performed with 70’s  rock band War), rock heroes (Stevie Nicks) and personal writing style. She's joined by band mates Bobb Bruno on guitars and Ali Koehler, formerly of The Vivian Girls, on drums for a live performance in the studio.

Olympia Bryan Ferry

Olympia

There are few figures in rock as cool as Bryan Ferry. This remains the case even 30 years after the break-up of Roxy Music. Now Ferry is back with a new solo album, Olympia, which is comprised of mostly original material - a rarity for a singer who takes such command of covers. Greg explains that it would be no overstatement to say that Roxy Music changed the face of rock ‘n’ roll. But there hasn't been a lot of changing of Ferry's sound since then. Jim agrees. He's still combining sly humor, sex appeal and lounge singer style. But this consistency is still great, and Olympia gets a double Buy It.

Man on the Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager Kid Cudi

Man On the Moon, Vol. II: The Legend of Mr. Rager (Bonus Track Version)

Bringing us full circle, we again think of Kanye West. But this time, we don't ponder his dismissal of Taylor Swift, but rather his influence on a new movement of introspective hip hop. Drake, Lupe Fiasco and now Kid Cudi are all embracing self-examination, as well as rock and roll. And, explains Greg, Cudi is the great existentialist. His new album, Man on the Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager, is a continuation of his last concept album. It is full of interesting narratives, wordplay, rock instrumentation and cameos. Both Jim and Greg are hugely impressed and give the record another double Buy It.

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